HiCap Parent Council Meeting
October 4, 2022
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Hybrid: In-person & Zoom
Discussion – Rethinking how we identify gifted students
Often no differentiation between HiCap class and non-HiCap class, except maybe for requiring more work
Biggest benefit of dual qualified is social aspects more than academic, being with like-minded kids
Concerns about bullying of HiCap kids in non-HiCap classes, particularly 2E kids
EAP teachers get training if they opt into it. Are there opportunities for middle school teachers?
There are sometimes barriers to this, including that teachers who teach the HiCap sections change.
Funding and time are other barriers.
Not a big Professional Development budget and no requirement that teachers participate.
Pandemic made this difficult. Still coming out of it. It can be worked on, but haven’t had time yet.
Could ask Northshore Schools Foundation for funding but don’t want to ask unless they know teachers actually want to participate.
Some middle school teachers are great at giving HiCap students more options, but need to get them talking to each other across the schools.
Amity does not necessarily know who all of the AAP teachers are since they don’t just teach AAP.
Wednesday early release days:
iDays – Individual direction for early release
Team Days – Meet with their PLC. They can choose which of their teams to participate with: elementary grade level, middle school department, etc.
SDLT – Site team days
Principal days – principal-directed professional development
District days – district directed PD
Shortage of substitute teachers makes it difficult to pull teachers out of class for PD. Trying to operate after hours as much as possible.
The district could be more effective in communicating the aim of the HiCap program to parents, in part to avoid conflict between EAP and GenEd families.
HiCap reps at PTA could help with this, but sometimes tension with PTA.
Don’t know how deep to go in just a few minutes at a PTA meeting – just focus on one topic at the meeting, and maybe a different topic at the next meeting
Could meet with principal periodically to ensure inclusion of all kids
Easier to explain EAP in elementary because it is accelerated. Some kids need this, but not all. But there is no clear line in middle school since not always a difference between Challenge and AAP.
Heard misconceptions from non-HiCap parents about what HiCap is, particularly parents new to middle school.
Amity Updates
Rethinking iReady (K-8)
Is in schools most days and has had opportunities to have conversations about iReady
Amity has a need for iReady because many grants require a district-wide system for collecting data. iReady is the only system-wide data point right now.
iReady also systematically shows whether are or are not making gains for students.
If child has tested out, what is the purpose of iReady?
If tested out in EVERY area particularly for ELA, difficult to ask them to continue with iReady. Otherwise, iReady does fill holes.
Requires teacher who knows how to use iReady well. Need to ask for as a parent so they know their child’s progress.
Important at 8th grade level and above. Goes higher for reading than math.
Can test until 12, but does not provide additional materials beyond 8th. Can show growth until 12th though.
Not using iReady in high school though, probably in part because it is childish (cartoonish).
High schools use different measures of progress than iReady, such as on target for graduation, AP classes, etc.
New iReady liassons at elementary schools to help with iReady implementation to help each school learn how to use iReady better.
iReady could potentially be more useful than was previously assumed since it was used as a diagnostic, but has other benefits too.
Referral window open until October 15
Most of the kids who qualify via SBA have not been referred. They must be referred though and parents are not informed about this.
Parents who are interested in HiCap need to refer their student.
Suggestion that elementary and middle school reps inform PTAs about the referral requirement.
Should point parents to website about the various ways a student can qualify for HiCap: NNAT3 for 1st graders, IOWA, SBA, etc.
Concern about informing parents who are not native English speakers.
Primary concern is just the 4th graders since 5th graders all take SBA. Worst case, they will get caught in 5th grade. Plus math double jump from 4th to 5th is big vs a newly qualified 6th grader could take 7th grade math instead of double-jumping to 8th grade algebra.
Classrooms already screened -- 6 school grades so far
Proctor training for NNAT3 – Friday, October 7
Some proctors are doing hearing and vision screening
Easier test to administer than IOWA since no verbal instructions to students
WAETAG – various schools sending teachers. Supporting the cost of guest teacher. WAETAG = Washington Association Educators of the Talented and Gifted.
Saturday – SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of Gifted) has a conference in Bellevue
Oct 17-22 – Equity in HiCap Education Week for WA state. Week of programming put on by the 3 HiCap state organizations. Could invite legislators into classrooms. (NW Gifted, WAETAG and one other.)
Council Questions/Updates
Insurance for playdates – PTA can’t cover?
Groups where not everyone is involved and not voted on by PTA probably would not fall under most PTA insurance policies. Each PTA would need to call and ask.
Could also be tension between HiCap and PTA, especially given Lockwood issue.
We did not have time to address this in the spring before summer events. Should resolve this issue before next spring.
Perhaps HiCap Parents Council needs to purchase own insurance, between $600 - $1000 per year. Would require additional fundraising.
Should use this as opportunity to build community with PTAs, but sometimes PTAs are not always willing.
If HiCap rep is a PTA board member, does that make it covered by insurance? Does it have to be an official PTA-sponsored event?
Could PTAs purchase additional insurance specifically for these events as an add-on?
But if HiCap is running an event, is it really a PTA event anyway?
Can buy spot insurance for an individual event for about $100 per event.
Could be included as “Additional Insured” within the policy.
Summer work for high school classes
Woodinville did not require any summer work, but some AP classes and College in the High School at other schools do often require summer work.
Marching band often requires week-long band camp. But not specified in course catalog.
North Creek – Pre-Calculus says it requires summer work, but does not say how to get it. Catalog does not say a Physics class requires summer work even though some do.
No consistent process for communicating summer work to students ahead of time.
Not just a HiCap issue. District-wide issue. Different for each high school.
Course catalog needs to reflect and communicate to families all requirements, particularly families new to district or high school.
But since schedules are not confirmed until just before school starts, how does a student even know they are in the class?
How does HiCap work for NFP, NN and NOA?
Different for all and depends on individual students
Most NFP students – their parents are really involved with level of acceleration that they serve their student with. Parents have to set goals and check in with the district.
NorthShore Networks – Classes that students come in to and they have a case manager that helps them. Not entirely clear how it works yet.
Northshore Online Academy – Main platform is Edunuity. They are getting served for Math.
Should invite Ross Baker to meeting to discuss in more detail. But they are getting access to the acceleration. Not sure exactly what the mechanism is for each.
